Comic Book Reviews for 10/3/12

At long last, we've reached the conclusion to Marvel's latest big event series: Avengers. vs. X-Men. Did the last chapter deliver the goods? Read on to find out. Also this week: the official beginning of Rotworld and the end of Uncanny X-Force inches ever closer.

You might notice that we've only reviewed the week's biggest books -- Joey is on vacation and we're prepping for NYCC, but we'll be back to our usual amount of reviews later this month.

DC COMICS

Action Comics #13

Written by Grant Morrison | Art by Travel Foreman & Brad Walker

"Halloween specials can go horribly wrong or horribly right. Consider this the latter. While more than a few aspects of the story defy logical explanation in terms of our loose grasp on superhero science, the pure fun of the telling makes this story rise above it all. The story has a creepy villain, a terrifying concept, and a certain Super-dog whose return will surely make many fans happy, namely IGN Comics Editor Joey Esposito." -Joshua

8.9

Animal Man #13

Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Steve Pugh & Timothy Green II

"The big Rotworld event we’ve all been waiting for has already come to pass, and Buddy Baker must play catch up in a world long devastated by the Rot. Jeff Lemire writes this chapter with an appreciated self-awareness where Buddy questions whether he’s in 'some alternate dimension or something.' Apparently, it’s not. So with the big obvious questions out of the way and a daunting task ahead of his protagonist, Lemire has set up a grand beginning to an eagerly awaited event." -Joshua

8.9

Before Watchmen: Rorschach #2

Written by Brian Azzarello | Art by Lee Bermejo

"The New York in the world of Watchmen is a pretty awful place to live in, and that's something Brian Azzarello's Rorschach reflects better than any of the Before Watchmen books. The city is practically a character unto itself in these pages. It's dank, squalid, and festering under neon lights. As Rorschach says, "Light of day makes its darkness worse. More brazen, arrogant." In many ways, that examination of Walter Kovacs' stomping grounds is the central draw in this series." -Jesse

7.1

Detective Comics #13

Written by John Layman | Art by Jason Fabok

"Detective Comics has been one of the better-selling Bat titles in the New 52 (thanks in part to the Joker twist from the first issue), but in terms of quality it's always lagged behind books like Batman and Batman and Robin. John Layman steps on board as the new writer for the series beginning with this issue, and all signs point to Detective becoming a much stronger book in its second year." -Jesse

8.1

Green Lantern #13

Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Doug Mahnke

"With Baz on the run with the most powerful piece of weaponized jewelry in the universe on his finger, the US Government -- including Amanda Waller, Agent Fed, and Barack Obama -- has made him a top priority to bring down and bring in. The close look into the reaction and thought process of the Government gives the story the best qualities of a political thriller. With the addition of Baz’s sister Sira, who must deal with all-too-familiar prejudice once again thanks to her brother, the tension stacks up considerably with each pitch perfect scene. Johns has created the most three-dimensional and compelling Green Lantern I’ve ever read, and yet Baz’s story has just begun." -Joshua

9.7

Swamp Thing #13

Written by Scott Snyder | Art by Yanick Paquette

"The problem with DC's Zero Month event in September was that the flashback issues stalled the progression of a few great books. Most notably, it forced the delay of the Rotworld crossover in Swamp Thing and Animal Man. But luckily, October is here, and now Rotworld is free to unfold. And given how great Swamp Thing has been throughout the New 52, it should come as no surprise that the wait was well worth it." -Jesse

8.8

MARVEL COMICS

The Amazing Spider-Man #695

Written by Dan Slott & Christos Gage | Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli

"With Alpha thankfully a thing of the past, Dan Slott and co-writer Christos Gage dive headfirst into the next three-part arc, Danger Zone, which features Hobgoblin Phil Urich, a device that messes with Spidey’s spider-sense, and long-thought-dead former-Hobgoblin Roderick Kingsley. While Kingsley spends this issue mostly out of sight, Urich makes his move against Spidey in a big way that, compounded with a malfunctioning spider-sense, sets up what looks to be quite the exciting story." -Joshua

7.1

Avengers vs. X-Men #12

Written by Jason Aaron | Art by Adam Kubert

"Avengers vs. X-Men #12 wraps up the event in the only way it really could have, with the two teams united at last and battling a fully Phoenix-powered Cyclops. With what Marvel has been revealing about the nature of its post-AvX catalog, and with the way most events follow familiar formulas, there aren't necessarily many surprises to be had in this finale issue. But, as they say, the journey matters more than the destination. Jason Aaron manages to bring the story to a close in an epic way, even if some key areas of the script feel lacking." -Jesse

6.9

Daredevil: End of Days #1

Written by Brian Bendis & David Mack | Art by Various

"Daredevil: End of Days is a welcome return to the days when Brian Michael Bendis wrote the adventure of Ol’ Hornhead not as a colorful superhero romp but as a dark and gritty procedural. End of Days is essentially Brian Bendis and co-writer David Mack’s last testament for Daredevil, his villains, his supporting cast, and Hell’s Kitchen. You won’t find the same swashbuckling take on the character currently being showered with awards – at IGN andelsewhere – but instead a down and dirty interpretation that puts a fitting bow on the work Bendis did on the character over the course of roughly six years, from 2001 through 2006." -Erik

8.5

Minimum Carnage Alpha #1

Written by Cullen Bunn & Chris Yost | Art by Lan Medina

"Everything Dan Slott has said about Amazing Spider-Man #700 so far suggests that Spider-Man's life is about to become a living hell. Does he really need Carnage showing up yet again to make things that much worse? Of course not. But the benefit to being such an ever-present member of Marvel's superhero community is that you always have offshoot characters, sidekicks, and bench-warmers to handle your dirty laundry. That's more or less the premise behind Minimum Carnage. Writers Cullen Bunn and Chris Yost are picking up the torch from Zeb Wells and chronicling Cletus Kasady's latest escape from incarceration. Rather than pitting Peter Parker against the psychotic villain, Venom and Scarlet Spider are on the case." -Jesse

6.4

Uncanny X-Force #32

Written by Rick Remender | Art by Phil Noto

"To say anything in particular about what choices the characters make throughout this issue -- there are some heavy ones -- would spoil the essence of what makes this particular issue so good. Decisions made long ago during the first several issues of Rick Remender’s run on X-Force are having a funny way of popping up all throughout his closing Final Execution arc. If you’re one of the many who feel Deadpool has been overused and only gets more annoying the more that he speaks, then check out what Remender does with him -- it’s as fascinating as it is hilarious." -Joshua